Strange But True
BY SAMANTHAWEAVER

. It was 19th-century French novelist Gustave Flaubert who made the following sage observation: "Our ignorance of history makes us libel our own times. People have always been like this."

. You probably are aware of the fact that slugger Babe Ruth held the record for the most home runs; you might not know, though, that he also held the record for the most strike-outs.

. The nuns who were with her at the time of her death claim that the last words spoken by Mother Teresa were, "I love you, Jesus. I love you, Jesus." However, her doctor says that her last words were, "I can't breathe."

. Johannes Gutenberg got the idea for a printing press from seeing a wine-making press.

. If you like to go out and hit the greens on a nice summer day, you might want to consider this fact the next time you're thinking about breaking out the irons and putters: More people are struck by lightning on golf courses than anywhere else.

. One of the great tragedies of the United States was the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre (incidentally, it was also the first assassination of a chief executive of our nation). Most people don't realize, though, that another, less well-known part of the family was also murdered. It's been reported that Lincoln's dog, Fido, jumped up on a drunk man, who then stabbed the pooch to death for getting muddy paws on his clothes.

. Grammy awardwinning Cuban- American singer and songwriter Jon Secada was a runner-up in New Jersey's Golden Gloves.

Thought for the Day: "Any frontal attack on ignorance is bound to fail because the masses are always ready to defend their most precious possession -- their ignorance." -- Hendrik Willem van Loon

(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.